Variable-cut-off valve-gear for engines.



A. D. BAKER.

VARIABLE CUT-OFF VALVE GEAR FOR ENGINES APPLICATION TILED MAR.20,1909. 1,008,4=O5, Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

2 flHEETS-SHEET 1.

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WITNESSES: NVENTOR- @W v M A. D. BAKER. VARIABLE CUT-OFF VALVE GEAR FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1909. 1,008,405.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Nov 14,1911

ward or backward travel, the pin 40 of the radius rocker 39, in its reciprocation by the eccentric rod, equal length and of equal radius but having a different center from every otl or are, and these arcs intersect each other at a common central point in a line axial to th trunnions ofthe rocker yoke. The lateral distance of travel of the pin 40 varies according to the angle of each arc to a horizontal line drawn through the common intersecting point of the arcs at right angles to a line axial to the trunnions 20, and the motion thereby imparted to the valve is indirect through the link 44, the bell crank 24 and the arm 48 of the lever 47, and varies the length of the val ve stroke according to the variation in the lateral travel of the pin 40.

The speed of the valve movement produced by the eccentric rod is a reproduction of the differential speed of reciprocation of the eccentric rod according to the law of crank reciprocation, except as modified by the lever 47. The movement of the valve by the cross head through the link 52 and the lever 47,-except as modified by the bell crank the piston is is fully open, the arm 49 of the lever 24,-is in direct reverse of the movement of the piston, andin speed is reduced below that of the cross head in the proportion of the length of-the arm 48 to the lever, the distanceof movement of the valve by the lever 47 being the length of the lap and lead of the valve. The combined movement of-the valve by the eccentric rod and lever 47 relative to a stroke of as follows:

' A t the beginning of a piston, stroke the valve is in he center of its stroke, and is being moved by the eccentric rod while passing one of its 90 speed, which causesthe valve to fully open the admission port (to the extent the parts are adjusted to open it by the reach rod) before the piston has more than started on its stroke. By the time the admission port 47 is moving the shortarm -48 in the opposite di rection to thatwhichggthe fulcruml46, of the lever is being-moved indirectly by the ec-t centric rod, and the two movements are thereby almost neutralized, and the valve pauses and comes very slowly to the end-of its stroke, at which, time the eccentric rod is passing a dead center, and travelingat its slowest speed, while the lever 49 is traveling at its highest speed, and quickly reverses the valve stroke and closes the admission port, thereby producing cut-oil", after-which the valve, now slowly moved in the same direction by both the eccentric rod and the gradually increasingitrom its lever,-on 'e slowest speed and the other rapidly diminspeed,-causes the rodagain reaching its highest speed quickly and very slightly open the opposite a travels through an arc of the arm 49 ofcenters at its highest until the er'rcentritz,

moves the valve to open the ex'haustfort,

mission port as the piston stroke comes to an end, and then fully opens it as the new pis- 'ton stroke begins. It will be seen also that the alternating effect of the eccentric rod and the lever 47 on the valve movement, is'to produce quick movement of the valve at the beginning, ending, and intermediate, the beginning and ending of each piston stroke, and slow movement: in the intervals between the quick movements. The quick movements at the beginning and ending of a piston stroke are produced as aforesaid by the eccentric rod while passing its 90 centers, and while the piston is at the-Send of a stroke, and the lever 47 is changing directionand moving slowly,the shifting fulcrum of the lever movement of theeccentric rod without resistance from the lever. The ,quick movement; of the valve intermediate the beginning and ending of the piston stroke aforesaid, which efiectsthe cut-ofi, is produced by the lever 47 While moving at its highest speed past the center of its are of travel, and when the eccentric rod is on its dead centers and slowly moving the valve in the 1 same direction as the short arm of the lever s moving 1t,-the

to the established, ex tent, and' causes a pause or dwell ofithe valve that maintains the .full admission of steam tonea.1' the point of cut-ofi,and, in the other interval.---- after the, quick cut-ofi produced by the lever 47 as aforesaid,causes a like pause or dwell of the valve until near the end of the piston stroke, when the quick movement of the eccentric red as it passes its 90 centers produces a quick release of the steam admitted during the stroke-and very slightly opens the admission port for the next stroke as the piston stroke ends.

4.7, permitting such quick While these .movements of theeccentric rod and the lever are apparently conflicting, they are in tact perfectly harmonious and produce no resistance the one to the other the shifting fulcrum of the lever 47 being the medium of harmtmious blending and transference (if-themovement of the valve from one to the other in alternation, both in,producii ig the quick and the slow movements of the lso valve, the quick movements being alternately produced by the eccentric rod and their dead centers.

the lever as they alternately pass their 90 centers, and the slow movements being alternately produced by the eccentric rod and the lever 47 as they alternately approach My gear also corrects the unequal distances of, cut-off from the beginning of a stroke, between the forward and backward strokes of the piston, which has heretofore been incident to engines, and which, as is well understood, is due to a difference of speed in the travel of the piston in the two strokes that is produced by the angularity of the connecting rod.

My gear efl'ects equality of distance of cut-oil by reason of the fact that the arm 49, -which travels in exact speed unison with the piston and tends, during the ast half of the valve stroke. to move the valve in the opposite direction from that which the eccentric, rod is moving it, but which tendency is neutralized as aforesaid by the shifting of the fulcrum 46 in the direction of its movement,takes effect and produces cut-oft as soon as the valve has reached the end of its stroke, by revcrsing'the movement of the valve, and, if the speed of the piston is greater during one stroke than the other,

cut-oil will occur proportionately earlier, by reason of such increased speed, and the distance of piston travel when cut-elf occurs is thereby equalized. It will also be seen that the length of valve stroke produced by the eccentric rod, and the extent of port opening will be varied and increased in proportion.

of the eccentric rod, and thereby through the link 44-and the bell crank 24 produce equal valve movement, on the reverse as on forward movement. It is further apparent that while the length of valve stroke and distance of port opening varies as described,

the distance of movement ofthe valve by the lever 47 remains constant, and cut-off occurs at less and less distances of piston travel as the extent of port opening is diminished.

The valve gear shown and described ,is unaffected in its operation of the valve by upward and downward movement of the driving wheels produced in running over inequalities of the track or uneven surfaces, by reason of the counter-acting eflect produoed by the lever 47, to any abnormal action of the eccentric and connecting rods arising from such disturbance of the normal relation oii those piston. a

By the construction, arrangement and combination of parts shown and described,

I have provided a valve gear thatwith few and simple parts produces equal and perfect action of the valve during the forward and backward strokes of the piston, however tlie cut-01f may be varied, either on the forward or backward movement of the engine.

\Vhat I claim to be new is 1. In a variable cut-otf-walve gear fcr locomotives, the combination with the main frame, eccentric rod, slide valve and cross head, of a support mounted on the frame, a bell crank jour nalcd on the support, a link connecting one arm of the bell crank lo the forward end of the eccentric rod, :a lever fulcrumed on'thc other arm of the he I crank, a stem connecting the valve with the parts to the valve and the lever near its fulcrum, a link connccting'thc I cross head to the lever at a proportionally greater distance from the fulcrum than the connectionof the stem,a member mountei on the support and adjustable thereon through an are, a rocker pivotally connected at one end to the adjustable member and at the other end to the bell crank link, the radial distance from said first to said second pivotal connection of the rocker being equal to the radial distance of its first pivotal'conmotion from the center of the arc of mover cnt of the adjustable member, and means t 1 adj listand establish the adjustable memher at difierent points in the arc of its move 'connecting one arm of the bell crank to the forward end of the eccentric rod, a lever fulcrumed on theother arm of he bel crank, to form a short arm and a longer arm,.

a stem connecting the short arm of the lever to the slide valve, a link connecting the longer arm to the cross head,'a priman rocker journaled on the support and adjust ablethrough an are, a return rocker pivotally connected at one end to the free end oil? the primary rocker and at the other end to the bell crank link, the radius of the return rocker being equal to the radius of the primary rocker, and means to adjust and estab lish'thc primary "ocker indifferent posi tions radial. to its axis.

, In a reversing variable cut-oif-valvu gear for locomotives, the combination with the main frame, eccentric rod, slide valve .and cross liead of a support mounted or. the main frame, a bell crank journaled .or. the support, said bell crank having an arm that is provided with and connec-ted by a link bar to the forward end of the eccentric rod, and a pair of arms that are cross connected at'their free ends by a bearing -pin, a lever fulcrumed on, the bearing pin,

said lever having a short arm and a longer arm, a valve rod connecting the short arm of the lever to the valve, a link bar connecting the longer 'arm to the cross head, a rocker yoke having side trunnions journaled near one envl on the support, and having alined bearings in its sides near its op osite e-nd, means to adjust and establish t e yoke in different positions radial to its trunnions, and a radius rocker having side trunnions journaled in the side bearings of the yoke, and adapted to swing on itstrunnions through the yoke, said radius rocker being pivotally connected at its opposite end to the bell crank link,at a radial distance from the trunnions of the radius rocker equal to the radial distance of said trunnions from the trunnions of the rocker yoke.

4.1m a variable cut-ofi valve gear for locomotive and traction engines, the com- .bination with the driving wheel, crank pin for the connecting rod, and cross head of the engine, of'a support, a rock yoke having alined trunnions mounted on the support, a reach rod adapted to adjust the rock yoke at various angles to its trunnions, a radius link pivoted to the yoke to swing through the yoke in various arcsaccording to the angle of ad ustment of the yoke, -a return crank fixedly mounted on the crank pin and having a pin eccentric ,to the axis of the driving wheel, an eccentric rod connecting the eccentric pin of the return crank with the radius link, a bell crank pivoted to the support, a link connecting. one arm of the bell crank with the radius'link, a lever fulcrumed on the other arm, said lever having a' short arm pivoted. to the stem of the valve, and a longenarm linked to the cross head, substantially asset forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of March, 1909.

ABNER D. BAKER. In presence of- 1' MARK WINCHESTER,

M. S. SMITH. 

